Electromagnetic game apparatus



um@ Rigi-Aww @CMC-@ Wm Feb. 5, 1957 F. R. CASAMADA ETAL 2,780,462

ELECTROMAGNETIC GAME APPARATUS Filed Jan. 25, 1954 20 9 A @QJ 1 3K 9@i4-l 19 `f hgg/2'? INVENTOR.

F. RIBERA cAsAMADA AcAwR/AL ARNAlz BY E' RIBERA LLORENS ELECTROMAGNETICGAME APPARATUS Felix Ribera Casamada, Alfonso Moral Arnaiz, and FelixRibera Llorens, Palamos, Spain Application January 25, 1954, Serial No.405,686

Claims priority, application Spain April 17, 1953 7 Claims. (Cl.273-119) The present invention relates to an electromagneticallyoperated apparatus for producing mechanical impulses of directed action.

This invention is applicable to those cases wherein a movable metallicelement constituted at least partially by a magnetic material is adaptedto be thrown in various directions and at different speeds.

The apparatus which is hereafter described comprises anelectromagnetical means suitable to intercept the course of the movableelement, provided that this comes within the range thereof, completelystopping said element and throwing it again under its electromagneticalaction with a direction and speed depending mainly on the ability of theapparatus operator.

The apparatus may be utilized alone or in combination with other suchapparatus in order to obtain in either case elfects and actionsaccording to predetermined rules and to thereby constitute an amusementrequiring attention and ability.

This object is obtained according to the present invention by providingat least two throwing electromagnetical devices, each of which comprisesa centering electromagnet in nuclear arrangement, iixed to a supportingmetallic plate for the momentary stopping and centering of the movableelement in question, in combination with a throwing electromagnet havingan annular core surrounding the centering electromagnet and txed on thesame supporting plate, for throwing the movable element.

The core of the throwing electromagnet is operatively correlated with adirection varying means by which the throwing of the movable element isaccomplished.

The magnetic field of the apparatus is strengthened by peripheral meansarranged on the support for the magnets.

The apparatus as described is placed under a metallic cover platewhereon the movable element travels.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed discussion of a preferred embodiment of the inventiontaken together with the accompanying drawing in which Figure l is a sideelevation of the electromagnetical apparatus, partially cut away to showthe internal arrangement of the parts thereof;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same apparatus taken from above theFigure l, and

Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the electrical connectionsoperatively correlating a plurality of throwing devices in connectionwith their electrical operating means, in a preferred embodiment.

The invention comprises an electromagnetic apparatus consisting of acentral or centering electromagnet having a core 1 (Figures 1 and 2)fixed to a supporting metallic plate 2 by means of any suitable clampingfixture, for example a screw 3, such core being surrounded by thecorresponding winding 4, the upper end 5 of the core being adjacent tothe lower face of a covering plate 6, the parts of the apparatus beingthereby concealed.

The cover plate 6 is provided to facilitate the rolling I United StatesPatent .2,780,462 Patented Feb. 5, 1957 or translation of the movableelement 7 which may be spherically shaped and includes portions thereofmade of magnetic material.

This electromagnet is always energized when the assembly of which itforms a part is in operation. Its electromagnetic conditions andcharacteristics, as well as the measurements thereof, are so chosen toprovide a magnetomotive force at the upper end of the core thereof whichmay be restricted to an amount just sufficient to draw the movableelement 7 from the electromagnets periphery and to hold this movableelement over said end with a relatively small force.

A second core 8, of annular shape, is mounted around the firstelectromagnet and is likewise iixed to the supporting plate by screws orother means, the corresponding winding 9 being mounted around thisannular core.

This second or throwing electromagnet is incorporated in a circuitallowing it to be connected to the electric supply through anindependent push-button switch or other such switch forming part of thecircuit for allowing the production of current pulses for arbitrarylengths of time. When it is desirable to operate the throwingelectromagnets individually, thereby avoiding the simultaneous switchingon of all of the electromagnets, means are provided to allow sufficientcurrent flow through a single throwing electromagnet winding only.

The core 1 is provided, close to the upper end thereof, with a couplingportion adapted to receive a movable armature 10 which may be operatedby means of a gearing allowing the rotation of the armature through 360degrees, or only a fraction of such rotation, as shown in Figures l and2. An operating pin 11 arranged at the end of the armature 10 isconnected to an operating bar 12 which may be operated from the end orany intermediate point thereof.

The armature is arranged for rotation adjacent to the upper edge of theannular core 8 and is so shaped that the upper part thereof is placedclose to the protection cover 6.

By such arrangement, any drive applied to the operating bar 12 resultsin an angular deviation of the armature 10 which is aimed in thedirection in which the mechanical throw of the movable element 7 isdesired to take place.

The throwing electromagnet 8 has the magnetic field thereof strengthenedby the peripheral complementary pieces 13, 14, 15, 16 which are placedin the most suitable arrangement.

From the foregoing it is easily understood that upon energization of thewinding 9, the ball or movable element ICC ` 7 coming within its forcerange, which is sufficiently great to achieve this purpose, is drawntowards the zone of greatest intensity of eld and is blocked on theannular core 8. When the energizing current of said winding 9 isswitched off, the movable element 7 is released and subjected to theaction of the field of the centering electromagnet which then will drawthe movable element until it is over the end of the core 1 thereof. Ifthe winding 9 is now energized with a current pulse of suitableduration, this movable element will be accelerated along the traverse 17and thrown with great speed along the direction selected by thepositioning of the armature 10.

The individual apparatus described may be utilized in combination withother similar apparatus, thereby constituting an assembly applicable formany purposes such as games and amusement.

In either case, the electrical operating means, either push-buttons orthe like, are suitably arranged in order that the several throwingelectromagnets are operated singly. For such purpose, a connection isProvided including a calibrated resistor which produces a voltage weonese! drop preventing the performance of more than one of the throwingelectromagnets.

The electrical wiring of these elements is set forth in the Figure 3,wherein the elements previously described bear the same referencecharacters. It will be seen that the windings 4 are permanentlyconnected to the mains 18 while the windings 9 are connected to the samemains through respective push-button switches 19 and through thecalibrated resistance 20.

The throwing devices allowing the selection of the direction in whichthe throwing takes place may have a range limited by two angulardirections covering a given angle on the annular core, thereby givingplace to a very wide range of applications, to be utilized for purposesin which the throwing of a movable game element in a given direction iscontemplated as the main performance characteristic.

Cil

It is obvious, of course, that various modifications such y as size andshape, as well as suitable materials can be utilized in the presentinvention without departing from the scope thereof as defined in theappended claims.

We claim:

l. Electromagnetic apparatus for producing directed mechanical movementin amusement or like devices, comprising a cover plate having a flatsurface thereon, a movable element having a portion thereof of magneticmaterial and being freely displaceable on said surface, at

least two throwing units under said cover plate, each unit comprising acentering electromagnet for centering said movable element with respectto the unit, and a throwing electromagnet surrounding the centeringelectromagnet for throwing said movable element outwardly on said coverplate from said centering electromagnet, means on said magnets forvarying the direction of outward throwing over at least a fraction ofthe circumference of said throwing electromagnet, means electricallyconnected with said electromagnets for continually energizing saidcentering electromagnets with a current sufficient to produce amagnetomotive force just sufficient to draw the movable element over thecentering electromagnet when the surrounding throwing electromagnet isnot energized and for selectively energizing the throwing electromagnetswith suicient current to produce a magnetomotive force sufficient todraw the movable element passing within its range to said throwingelectromagnet thereby intercepting the course of said movable element,and means connected with said energizing means for preventing thesimultaneous operation of more than one of said throwing electromagnets.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim l in which said centering electromagnetcomprises a magnetic core and a winding therearound, a supporting plateto which said core is 4,- xed on the lower end thereof, the upper end ofsaid core protruding from said winding and extending adjacent said coverplate.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim l in which said throwing electromagnetcomprises an annular core and a winding therearound surrounding thecentering electromagnet, a supporting plate to which said annular coreis fixed on the lower end thereof, the upper edge of said core beingsubstantially liush with the upper edge of the winding.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which the throwing electromagnetfurther comprises a plurality of magnetic pieces arranged peripherallyof the winding and attached to said supporting plate, thereby wideningthe field of said throwing electromagnet.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim l in which said means for varying thedirection of throwing of the movable element comprises a movablearmature of magnetic material rotatably connected to the upper end ofthe centering electromagnet for rotation about the axis of saidcentering electromagnet, said armature extending over the surroundingthrowing electromagnet adjacent thereto and adjacent the lower face ofthe cover plate.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, said means for varying the directionof throwing of the movable element further comprising annual operatingmeans connected to said armature to impart thereto along an arc of thecircumference of said throwing electromagnet a motion dependent on theamount of manual operation.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said centering electromagnetcomprises a magnetic core and a winding therearound, the upper end ofsaid core protrud- 4ing from said winding and extending adjacent saidcover,

said throwing electromagnet comprises an annular core and a windingtherearound surrounding the centering electromagnet, the upper edge ofsaid core being substantially liush with the upper edge of the winding,and the means for varying the direction of throwing comprises a movablearmature of magnetic material rotatably mounted on the upper end of thecore of the centering electromagnet for rotation about the axis of saidcore, said armature extending over the upper edge of the annular core ofthe throwing electromagnet adjacent thereto.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,648,956 Meade Nov. 15, 1927 2,184,867 Williams et al. Dec. 26, 19392,433,995 Kevers Jan. 6, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 454,258 Germany Jan. 3,1928

